Low Light shots, irritating problem

[clonmult]

I'm starting to get irritated with my SLR - Sony A200.

I've noticed this a few times when taking pictures in low lighting. To get focused it fires the flash off twice, a second or two apart, before getting a lock and then firing the flash on full and getting what would have been a good picture - if it had gotten a lock on sooner. A few taken on saturday night got very confusing results, as one of the subjects thought that the second flash was for the actual picture ... hence the final image being incomplete.

Is it something inherent in the camera - ie. its just plain slow at focusing in marginal conditions?

Would getting a decent external flash make much of a difference?

[Gemm]

Cameras need some sort of light for focusing. Some cameras use pre-flash for this and some use continuous beam of light, and some use infra-red beam. I really hated the pre-flash too. If you get a decent external flash, I think they normally use infra-red beam, so you can avoid the situation you were in. But the focusing would be still be slower than normal daylight.

[Simpo Two]

I don't know this camera but AF does need a certain amout of light to work. If this is not available many cameras have an 'AF Assist' function which illuminates the target to get AF lock just before the shutter fires. Most Nikons have a small white lamp on the front for this; I understand Canons pop the flash and use that. Seperate flashguns like Speedlights have their own AF assist which use red light, and will fire a faint preflash for metering as well. I frequently have to operate in very low light so I have a flash cord (SC29) which projects a rather splendid red 'bar code' across the subject for the AF system to lock on.

Hence you can see different makers solve the problem in different ways, and I guess you've found how Sony does it, the delay between shots possibly being while the pop-up flash recharges. Or do you have it on accursed 'red-eye' mode'?

[clonmult]

Simpo Two said:

I don't know this camera but AF does need a certain amout of light to work. If this is not available many cameras have an 'AF Assist' function which illuminates the target to get AF lock just before the shutter fires. Most Nikons have a small white lamp on the front for this; I understand Canons pop the flash and use that. Seperate flashguns like Speedlights have their own AF assist which use red light, and will fire a faint preflash for metering as well. I frequently have to operate in very low light so I have a flash cord (SC29) which projects a rather splendid red 'bar code' across the subject for the AF system to lock on.

Hence you can see different makers solve the problem in different ways, and I guess you've found how Sony does it, the delay between shots possibly being while the pop-up flash recharges. Or do you have it on accursed 'red-eye' mode'?

I never, ever switch on red eye reduction - hate it with a passion, and it never works anyway - better to place the flash off the axis of the eyes. The first two flashes are for focusing - I can feel the lens moving during/after each flash.

Maybe its time to start looking for an alternative flash then .... the official Sony units are a tad expensive, wonder what third party options are available.

[Ed_P]

I'm not familiar with the camera either, but this could be due to the flash/camera being set to second curtain sync. When using TTL flash, the camera needs to fire a pre-flash to meter the effects and then the "actual" flash. If the camera is set to first curtain sync., the preflash and flash will appear as one (virtually). If set to second curtain and light is very low (and exposure time lengthened), the flash won't fire until the end of the exposure. Hence two distinct flashes. This would also occur with an external flash.

Could be it's nothing to do with this, but worth checking.

[Simpo Two]

Seems like you knew the answer anyway then.

Righto, here's a cheap Sony flahgun and it will bounce as well: www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-sony-hvl-f1000-flashg...

Or cheaper, Metz: www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-metz-36-af-4-sony-fit...

[JohnS]

Cheaper 2nd hand ones here: http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread...

[clonmult]

Simpo Two said:

Seems like you knew the answer anyway then.

Righto, here's a cheap Sony flahgun and it will bounce as well: www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-sony-hvl-f1000-flashg...

Or cheaper, Metz: www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-metz-36-af-4-sony-fit...

That Sony looks tempting, and there's also a bunch of easy clip-on diffusers available on fleabay as well.

Can't get one right now though - bloody employers have gone and screwed up our on-call allowances, so slightly down on finances this month (perfect timing).

[rasputin]

HVL-F1000 is a coldshoe non-TTL flash without focus assist and not for Alpha DSLRs. So couldn't be more inappropriate

Go for the HVL-F42AM - look here: http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/cat29.html

I paid £177 for an HVL-F56AM a few months ago. It felt wrong somehow to pay that much for a tarted up lightbulb, but I haven't regretted it for one second. It opens up so many possibilities.
Get one, and get a good one.

[clonmult]

rasputin said:

HVL-F1000 is a coldshoe non-TTL flash without focus assist and not for Alpha DSLRs. So couldn't be more inappropriate

Go for the HVL-F42AM - look here: http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/cat29.html

I paid £177 for an HVL-F56AM a few months ago. It felt wrong somehow to pay that much for a tarted up lightbulb, but I haven't regretted it for one second. It opens up so many possibilities.
Get one, and get a good one.

Thanks - what about the other third party manufacturers, Sigma or Metz - any good?